Falcon Lakes fireworks planned July 3 this year

On Monday night, Rustom Ferzandi, owner of the Falcon Lakes residential area and golf course, shouldered the responsibility for any misunderstanding from his development shooting fireworks early last July 4.

"The blame is right here so please do not blame anyone else," Ferzandi told members of the Basehor City Council Monday night.

"This year we're trying not to have a conflict of interest."

Last year, the fireworks displays at Falcon Lakes were shot off at the same time as those for the Basehor PRIDE celebration. An agreement between the city and Falcon Lakes mandated fireworks at the development would be shot off at 10:30 so it wouldn't detract from the PRIDE organization's display an hour earlier.

Ferzandi said he thought the fireworks could be shot beginning at 9:30. He said the fireworks snafu was a simple mistake not a cavalier act meant to deter from the city's celebration.

Last year, Ferzandi offered his development property on Kansas Highway 7 as a site to host both the city's celebration and that of Falcon Lakes.

On Monday night, Falcon Lakes representatives requested a permit to have a fireworks display this year. The City Council unanimously approved the permit but not before ensuring there would be no confusion this year, which is unlikely to occur since the city's celebration and Falcon Lakes will be on different nights.

The city's annual Fourth of July parade and activities will take place July 4 (see related story above) while Falcon Lakes will happen a day earlier on July 3 to coincide with two golf tournaments that day.

Fairmount Township Fire department chief Jeff Theno said there will be no problems covering both events this year. Last year, the fire department had to scramble to cover both fireworks display events, he said.

"We are set up to handle both of them at the same time," Theno said.

Basehor mayor Joseph Scherer said the two separate dates would prove beneficial.

"To me that just draws more people to the community," Scherer said. "Let them choose."